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Monday, September 27, 2010

Chenna/Yam Pachadi

Chenna or yam pachadi is a delicious way to cook yam. I tried this recipe after I saw it in Lakshmi Nair Cookery show. This is a simple and quick recipe and she called it "instant pachadi'. I brought a little variation to the original which was like a chutney- grinding all the raw ingredients in a blender and then adding the thadka. The recipe had asked to use raw yam, but I was a it reluctant to try that since I did not get fresh yam and tried this with the frozen one.

Chop the yam into small cubes. Cook this along with slitted green chilly, tamarind juice and salt.

Make a fine paste of coconut, ginger, a pinch of mustard seeds. When the yam cooks add this paste and mix well. Simmer for a minute and add yogurt and heat it for a few seconds in low flames. Add jaggery powder and set aside.
In a separate pan heat oil and allow mustard seeds to crackle.Fry chopped shallots, red chillies and curry leaves and add to the pachadi. This can be served with rice.

Note: The quicker version of this recipe ( as per the cookery show) is to grind into a coarse paste, coconut, yam, green chilly, ginger and tamarind. Mix in the yogurt and set aside. Finally heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it crackles add sliced shallots, dry red chilly, curry leaves and fry. Pour this over the pachadi and mix well.